Fire escape chute



H. D. ELWOOD FIRE ESCAPECHUTE Filed July 21, 1943 Aug. 7, 1945.

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B a a 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1945 7 me nsosrn 01mm I garland n. Elwood, Detroit, Mich, asslgnor to Lewis A. Eastman, Wyandotte,

Mich.

Application July 21, 1943, Serial No. 495,613

3' Claims.

This invention relates to fire escape apparatus and particularly to flexible chutes.

An object of the present invention is to generally improve fire escape chutes, and to overcome some of the difficulties encountered in using portable fire escape apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible fire escape chute which has a free operating cable for supporting the sides of the chute, and reinforced cut-out-portions at spaced intervals, whereby the operators may readily grasp the cable and thereby distribute the stresses and strains, encountered in use, over a greater area,

thereby increasing the safety factor.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a chute which is more readily adapted to long and short slides, because of the ease of handling the surplus material at the free end of the chute.

A still further object of the invention'is the provision of a chute the free end of which may be secured to a ground objectin certain instances by means of the cables.

The foregoing and other objects and advan-, tages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational detail of the upper reaches of the device shown in Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of one of the hand hold cut-out portions of the chute, showing the accessibility of the cable.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5is a detail of one of the strips used to reinforce the hand hold cut-out portions.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the manner in which the reinforcing strip shown in Fig. 5 is employed.

Fig. 7 illustrates the type of cable employed.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail showing the man-' ner of constructing and reinforcing the upper end of the chute.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed the reference character I0 indicates the frame or supporting bracket for the chute H, and forms no part of this invention in itself.

The chute II is preferably made ofa fireproof canvas and of suflicient length to serve the needs of the user. It is constructed as hereinafter disclosed. The principal portions of the chute may cutouts be of one or more layers. In this embodiment I employ a single layer l2 (Figs. 3 and 4), which is folded, reinforced and fastened as described hereinafter.

The upper end of the chute II is preferably reinforced with extra layers l3 and N (Fig. 8) which are of sufficient length to extend several feet along the underside of the chute proper.

The extension HA of thereinforced end is bent is secured by any suitable detachable means 15, to form a loop l6 over'the bar I! of the supporting frame Ill (Figs. 1 and 2). The sides of the layer 12, are formed with cutouts l8 (Fig. 6) at spaced intervals to provide hand holds as explained hereinafter. After the i8 are formed in the layer 12, and reinforced, the longitudinal edges l9 are folded as back beneath itself and at (Fig. 8) and refolded as at 2| and stapled as at 22 to form reinforced tunnels or enclosed ropeways through which the cables 22 may freely slide. The cables 23 are made of steel covered with fabric. In order to reinforce the tunnels at the ends of the cut-outs it, I insert reinforcing strips 24 (Fig. 5) in the cut-outs as shown in Fig. 6, and then fold and refold them (Fig. 4) before the staples 22 are secured in place. In

order to further reinforce the hand hold cutouts 18 at the corners, I insert metal plates 25 (Fig. 3) and rivet them in place between the folds.

The upper twenty feet of the average length chute do not require hand holds but the hand holds are spaced about every seven feet throughout the remainder of the chute.

The cables 23 are provided at their upper end with means 26 to fasten them to rings 21 secured to the frame 10. The lower ends of the cables 23 are preferably provided with means, such as balls 28, to prevent the cables from being pulled out of the tunnels.

- added safety factor is provided in the chains 29 which connect the sides of the chute II to the rings 21. Where each chain 29 attaches to the side of the chute, I provide a heavy grommet 39, which extends through the several layers of canvas, and an intermediate reinforcing plate 3B, which is riveted in place as at 32.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have disclosed an improved fire escape chute which has many advantages over anything now known to the public.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The ombination of one or more layersyof elongated flexible material formed with tunnels along the longitudinal edses. cables in said tunnels, spaced cut-out sections in said tunnels exposing said cables, reiniorcing means at the respective ends oi each cut-out section, means to anchor the upper ends of the layers or flexible material to another object, and means for anchoring the cables.

2. The combination of one or more layers oi elongated flexible material formed with tunnels along the longitudinal edges, cables in said tunnels, spaced cut-out sections in said tunnels exposing said cables, reinforcing means at the respective ends oi each cut-out section, means to anchor the upper ends of the layers of flexible material to another object, said means including chains or the like extending from points adjacent the ends of said tunnels.

3. The combination with a wall bracket of a chute comprising one or more layers of elongated flexible material formed with tunnels along the longitudinal edges, cables in said tunnels. spaced cut-out sections in said tunnels exposing said cables, reinforcing means atthe respective ends of each cut-out, means to secure the layers of flexible material to said bracket, and means to secure the cables to said bracket.

' HARLAND D, ELWOOD. 

